I was angry.
"Josh told my mother to silence me?"
"Why do you speak so badly of your brother?"
Lauren jumped.
"Think about it carefully. There's no need to make a fuss. Since His Majesty came looking for you again, it's obvious he doesn't know anything, so wouldn't it be better for you to just cover it up and leave?"
I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.
It was mind-boggling to think that Julian really knew nothing.
'Julian knew everything and still held me in his arms, Mother.'
Lauren knew that Julian did not know that I had betrayed him and sold him out to Josephine.
If he had known, he would not have let me live.
What kind of person in power would let live the lover who hit him in the back of the head and drove him to his death?
Even calling the government back to their side like this.
But Julian did.
Even though he knew, he couldn't kill me, so he just turned away.
He even saved me when I reappeared and embraced me.
Lauren had no idea how much mercy Julian had shown me.
And I had no idea how much mercy I was showing Josh and Lauren.
On the day of that secret meeting, the day in question, it was Josh who found out that I was meeting Julian, locked me in my room, and sold Julian out.
Lauren knew Josh had done it and got down on her knees to me and begged me.
"Bridget, can you cover up Josh's crime? Of course, It'll be hard to forgive him. I'm not asking you to forgive him. I'm asking you to do it for Mom and Chloe. Please. Mom is embarrassed."
They wanted me to take all the blame and die alone.
But Julian didn't look for the traitor and Lauren was glad that he didn't know anything and no one died.
They believed that things would work out so well.
"It's in the past, huh? Bridget. It's in the past."
"..."
"Josh is very sorry and reflecting."
"He must be afraid. He never imagined that I would be reunited with His Majesty. How could he sleep soundly in fear?"
I snorted.
"Bridget..."
Lauren was unfamiliar with that me.
She started sobbing and bursting into tears.
"Could you please look after your brother? Please, for Mom's sake. Yes?"
"What the heck..."
Imy lip. I clenched my fists and slammed the armrests in frustration.
"What on earth is it for Mom? Me keeping my mouth shut? What about Josh? What does Josh do for Mom? What is he doing hiding behind Mom, sending Mom to the palace where he is too scared to even set foot?"
"Josh... It's not that Josh, he fought with you. You know your brother has a lot of pride and can't say embarrassing things... In reality, he's really sorry to you. How sorry must he have been to send me instead, huh?"
I couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed my hair and screamed...
"Please! Mom, please!!"
Lauren, who had never seen me so angry before, was startled and put both hands on her chest, her eyes wide open.
I gritted my teeth.
But the damn tears fell like rain without me even being able to hold them back.
They were not tears shed in sadness.
"..What do I gain by taking care of Josh and putting up with it for Mom?"
"Bridget... What do you gain from family..."
When I glared at Lauren fiercely, Lauren shut her mouth in desperation.
My face was filled with resentment as I wiped away my tears with my sleeve.
There was no trace of my usual calm and gentle expression.
The expression was distorted and red, grotesquely ferocious. The monster that had been buried and hidden deep inside my chest was revealed.
Lauren swallowed hard...
I spoke clearly, my tone calm and contrasting with my fierce face.
"I did enough."
"..."
"Mother. I am also your child. I am not a child who only needs to be understood by Josh and cared for by Chloe. I am also a child who needs to be understood and cared for by you."
My voice was terribly shaky and cracking.
Still, I spoke, pressing down on each word.
"Apologize to me."
"What, what?"
"I've been too much for you all this time. I'm sorry I couldn't understand you, I regret not taking enough care of you. I'm so ashamed of all the things I've asked you to endure! The one you loved..."
I was overcome with sadness and was unable to speak for a moment, but then continued.
"I'm sorry for doing such a bad thing to the person you loved."
Tears fell annoyingly.
"I want you to apologize!"
Lauren flinched at that rebuke.
Her face turned pale, and she fanned herself with her hand to calm her startled heart.
"I'm scared to death, Bridget. It's like you're going to eat Mommy..."
Lauren's eyes took in the ornately decorated walls and ceilings, the antique furniture, and the beautiful dress I was wearing.
"You've changed. You weren't like this before, but this place has turned my good daughter into this devil! Ugh!"
Lauren sobbed and buried her face in her handkerchief.
"When did I ever treat you like a chiId? You were the one I relied on! You were the only one I could rely on. I also have a hard time enduring Josh. Chloe is immature. She only looked at you. You were the only one I trusted. You don't understand a parent's heart. Since you haven't had a child, you wouldn't understand."
"..."
"My situation is pitiful. Is it such a big wish to have at least one child who will give in to their mother? How did I raise you guys! After your father died, I suffered so much to raise you! Oh my!"
"..."
"How can you fight and quarrel with each other like this, blaming others without understanding anyone! How can you tear my heart apart like this? Huh?"
Lauren cried loudly...
She cried so loudly that the sound leaked outside.
As she cried more and more bitterly. My heart grew colder.
I let Lauren cry for a while.
Strangely enough, the excitement subsided.
It was strange how everything became numb as I watched Lauren cry and complain instead of apologizing even though I had said so myself.
I wasn't angry anymore...
The resentment that had built up to the point where it seemed like it wouId explode seemed to flow away somewhere like gentle waves.
When Lauren stopped crying, I was left empty.
So in the end, when Lauren said, "If you would just put up with 'that' thing just this once, we would all be fine." I felt neither anger, nor sadness, nor resentment.
"Go out."
"Bridget, like this..."
"Anna!"
Anna, who had been standing guard at the reception room door since she realized that the sound coming from inside was unusual, came running in.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Take mother to the carriage."
"Yes. Come out here, Ma'am."
"Bridget!"
Anna dragged Lauren out with all her might.
It was when I was left alone.
In the silence, a black knight emerged from my shadow.
Gooooooooooo
The black knight raised his pitch-black sword and looked around.
It stood next to me and continued to search for something, but could not find the target, so it just stood there with its sword raised.
He stood there blankly, guarding my side, for a long, long time before he retreated back into the shadows.
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